Malik

For an enterprise that has been around for a very long time, EA Sports has its hands full each year. FIFA team has had to consistently step their game up each year and that is exactly what they have done once again in FIFA 17.

After using the Ignite engine for the last few years, developer EA Canada has shifted course in FIFA 17, instead utilizing DICE’s Frostbite engine. This engine is best known for being used in games like Battlefield, Battlefront, and the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda. FIFA has always been known for offering just about as authentic an experience as possible, and now the game has taken that even further.

Through the use of the Frostbite engine, FIFA 17 has replicated all of the action on the pitch to make it feel even more true to life, from player movement to even facial expressions. The latter is even more important within one of FIFA 17’s new game modes, where player interaction plays a big role, including face scanning of all 20 Premier League managers. This new engine is not left strictly to the field of action either, as locker rooms and more have been created that all combine to enhance the entire experience even more. One cool little feature is that if you keep the game paused for too long throughout the various game modes, it will change to loading screens that show off these different environments, which is a nice touch.

The game of football is always a constant battle for the ball and new gameplay mechanics have made this feel even more realistic than ever. New pushback tech has really made fighting for the ball on the pitch a whole different ballgame, including much improved trapping and dribbling. New threaded through passes and shot finishers require more precision on the pitch, but it opens up new opportunities for scoring that were not present in the past.

Dead ball situations have also been overhauled, with players getting even more control over the situation than ever before. In the past, it was very difficult to aim when kicking from the corner, but now you have a marker that displays where you are aiming and then can choose how much power you want to put behind it. Throw-ins also have been altered a bit, with you able to now walk down the line or do fake throws to give you a better chance to get the ball to your player.

Like with many other “player modes” in sports titles, The Journey gives you an option to either control the entire team or just the one player, which offers two different ways to experience the game. As you continue through your career, you’ll take part in practice sessions, actual games, and more. You will even unlock skill points that can be used to upgrade your player, which almost feels somewhat RPG like. The Journey is really unlike anything that the FIFA series has ever done, and yet still feels like a completely natural fit with the story and gameplay meshing well together throughout.

For those that want to take control of a single player as they move up through the ranks, but do not want the story surrounding it, the regular Player Career mode is still included as well. It does not appear that EA GameFace was an option here anymore, but you do have a solid character creator to use instead. The Player Career mode is a little disappointing in that it really did not get any new features, but the Manager Career got more of a boost in FIFA 17 instead.

Manager Career does not let you create your character from scratch, but rather has 11 very detailed avatars to choose from instead. This allows the manager to be very involved during your matches, which will depend on how your team is performing. This is one of the best examples of how EA Canada is using the Frostbite engine to its fullest, with little nuances like this that make the overall experience all the better. Adding in the new ways of managing the club, both player wise and financially, help to improve a game mode that has remained rather stagnant in recent years.

Techiemister Verdict

With features like the The Journey mode and the even more realistic Frostbite engine, EA Canada has once again given players a reason to fall in love with FIFA once again. Being one of the most successful football franchisee games, FIFA impresses once again. Right from the gameplay to the changes in the career mode, it is a must have for sports game lovers. We reviewed the game on a PS4 and graphics are as realistic as it gets.

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